Azerbaijani Radio Hour Archive

From 2010-2012 an estimated 10,000 weekly listeners worldwide followed the Azerbaijani Radio Hour: The Voice of the Karabakh Foundation. The program is available on the Karabakh Foundation website and via podcast and iTunes. In 2013, the Karabakh Foundation received an Award of Distinction from the International Academy of the Visual Arts for excellence in marketing and communications on the Azerbaijani Radio Hour: Voice of the Karabakh Foundation.

Season 2: 2011-2012

5/27/2012 Community Based Tourism
An interview with Mason Wiley former Peace Corps Volunteer and founder of Community Based Tourism.

4/8/2012 Culture Smart: Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani author Nikki Kazimova discusses her book Culture Smart: Azerbaijan, the essential guide to the customs and culture of Azerbaijan. Kazimova also shares anecodtes from the beginning of her writing career.

3/18/2012Media in the CaucasusEric Schwartz talks a about his life in Eurasia, the differences between social and print media in the Caucasus the United States and his experiences as a new media expert in Azerbaijan.

3/11/2012Paul Goble’s Life in EurasiaPaul Goble speaks with Program Officer Joshua Noonan about working in Eurasia and his work and life in Azerbaijan.

2/26/2012 Maka Alioghlu on her Azerbaijani-Georgian LifeMaka Alioghlu speaks with Program Officer Joshua Noonan about growing up Azerbaijani-Georgian, comparing and contrasting, Azerbaijani business in the Republic of Georgia, speaking about her life in the United States as a UGRAD Fellow and her work at the United Nations.

2/19/2012 The Refugee: The Long Journey of Anar UsubovAnar Usubov speaks with Karabakh Foundation Program Officer Joshua Noonan about the film which depicts his flight from Khojali after the massacre and the memories that haunt him to this day of the tragedy.

1/15/2012 Azerbaijani RecollectionsCarol Van Oosterom from Toronto speaks on Azerbaijani Radio Hour about her recollections of Azerbaijan and the work that she did in Baku.

1/8/2012 The Peace Corps Presence in AzerbaijanShamsiyya Mustafayeva shares her experiences as training director of the Peace Corps in Azerbaijan. Informed by personal experiences, her observations of the comparison and contrasts of the systems of higher education in Azerbaijan and the United States are also discussed.

12/04/2011 Azerbaijani Americans: Preserving CultureAlan Pendleton president and general manager of New World Radio discusses issues of identity and culture preservation amongst Azerbaijanis and Azerbaiji Americans living in the United States.

11/13/2011 Identity Part 2In the second part of a two part series, special guest, renowned historian and Professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst Audrey Altstadt speaks about Azerbaijani identity.

11/06/2011 Identity Part 1In the first part of a two part series, special guest, renowned historian and Professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst Audrey Altstadt speaks about Azerbaijani identity.

10/23/2011 Cuisine Special guest and world renowned chef and author Amy Riolo talks about the Karabakh Foundation’s upcoming cookbook Cuisine of Karabakh. She discusses how she got the recipes, the process of preparing dishes, and the overall deliciousness of Azerbaijani food.

10/16/2011 National Independence DaySpecial guest Dr. Adil Baguirov, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Karabakh Foundation, joins the radio program to share the importance of celebrating National Independence Day in Azerbaijan.

9/25/2011 Jewish/Azerbaijani RelationsSpecial guest Lesley Weiss, the Director of Community Services and Cultural Affairs for NCJS, discusses the relationship with those in and around Azerbaijan and the Jewish Community.

9/11/2011 US/Azerbaijani Friendship Special guest Elin Suleymanov, Consul General of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the United States, discusses with us the importance of cultural diplomacy and the friendship that has developed between the United States and Azerbaijan on this somber day.

Season 1: 2010-2011

5/22/2011 Interview with Dr. Rovshan Ibrahimov
Shafag Mehraliyeva interviews Dr. Rovshan Ibrahimov, founder and associate professor of the International Relations Department at Qafqaz University in Baku. The Radio Hour also commends artists Ell and Nikki and their song “Running Scared” for winning a Eurovision pop song award.

5/15/2011 Ali and Nino
Exploring literature, today’s radio hour looks at Ali and Nino by Kurban Said, an Azerbaijani classic.

5/8/2011 The Occupation of Shusha
The occupation of Shusha by Armenian forces nineteen years ago today is discussed. Displaced Shusha resident, Panah Ibrahimov, is interviewed. Adil Bagirov discusses the current state of resolution between Armenia and Azerbaijan concerning the Shusha and Karabakh territory.

5/1/2011 The Silk Road Ensemble
The Silk Road Ensemble features musicians from Azerbaijan, Mongolia, China, Korea, Iran, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The ensemble is an excellent example of the musical and cultural exchanges that resulted from trade along the Silk Road.

4/24/2011 Azerbaijani Centenarians
This Radio Hour delves into the longevity of Azerbaijani people. In the southern city of Lerik, twenty people are listed as being over 100, which has been largely contributed to clean air, natural foods, and stress-free lifestyles. To share some of the secrets to longevity, Dr. Shapoor Ansari is interviewed.

4/17/2011 Tea: Azerbaijan’s National Beverage
Honoring Azerbaijan’s national beverage, this radio hour is dedicated to tea and the cultural traditions surrounding it. As part of the discussion, KF Executive Director Diana Altman interviews Emily Murphy, founder of “Emily’s Teas” and a lecturer at tea seminars

4/3/2011 Turksoy Presents
Covering the success of the Karabakh Foundation’s recent Rhythms of Azerbaijan and TURKSOY concerts, Shafag Mehraliyeva speaks with KF board chair, Adil Baguirov. The interview included organizing the concerts, favorite performances, and bringing together Turkic nations for a beloved holiday.

3/27/2011 About the Karabakh Foundation
Interview with Prof. Hamlet Isakhanli, Ph.D. Co-Founder of the Karabakh Foundation and Member, Board of Directors.

3/6/2011 Azerbaijani Women
Host Shafag Mehraliyeva dedicates this radio hour to Azerbaijani women in observance of International Women’s Day on March 8th. Important Azeri women, such as journalist Khadija Alibeyova, first lady of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva, and poetess Khurshid Banu Natavan are all mentioned.

2/27/2011 Khojaly
This afternoon’s radio hour looks at the tragedy of Khojaly that happened 19 years ago and was declared by Human Rights Watch as the “largest massacre in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict” between Armenia and Azerbaijan. A clip from the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los-Angeles, Elin Suleymanov, is played, which explains why he thinks the world needs to know about Khojaly and what Khojaly meant for the history of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

2/20/2011 Baku, Azerbaijan: Travel Destination
Karabakh Foundation Executive Director, Diana Altman, shares with visitors reasons why Baku, Azerbaijan should be included on the list of possibilities for travel. Historical landmarks such as the Maiden Tower, Old City, Palace of Shirvanshahs, Ateshagh temple, Qobustan Petroglyph Reserve, and numerous museums are all discussed.

2/13/2011 Wedding Traditions in Azerbaijan
Host Shafag Mehraliyeva talks about the proposal stages, matchmakers, ceremonies, and traditions associated with marriage. The second half of the show features an interview with Dr. Adil Baguirov, a co-founder and a chair of the board of directors of Karabakh Foundation. Baguirov shares the Foundation’s goals for 2011.

2/6/2011 Ashig
Taking a close look at Azerbaijani storytelling traditions, this show educates listeners on the tradition of ashig. The art of ashig requires a minstrel to create poems, compose music, and perform these songs playing on his stringed instrument, saz. Musical compositions that accompany ashig performances are played throughout the program.

1/30/2011 The Kamancha
Returning to Azerbaijani musical traditions, this show discusses another musical instrument: the kamancha. To learn more about this instrument, Mr. Imamyar Hasanov is interviewed. He is a kamancha soloist, who is highly respected both in Azerbaijan and United States as a master of this instrument.

1/23/2011 “Black January” and democracy in Azerbaijan
Guest speakers, Anar Garibov and Habib Azarsina share their personal memories connected to “Black January.” Garibov was a witness to the 1990 massacres committed by Soviet army in Baku. Azarsina watched the events unfold in his home country while residing in the United States. Their stories give different perspectives of the historic event.

1/16/2011 Jazz Mugham
Continuing with the musical theme, January 16th’s radio hour is hosted by Edward Cohen and takes a look into jazz-mugham. This musical genre, established by Vagif Mustafazadeh, is a mixture of the traditional mugham with American jazz. Throughout the show, music is played for listeners to enjoy the musical stylings of jazz-mugham.

1/9/2011 An American on Mugham: An Interview with Jeffrey Werbock
Jeffrey Werbock, an accomplished mugham player and chairman of the Mugham Society of America, introduces listeners to the traditional instrument. Throughout the show, mugham musical segments are played to demonstrate the techniques and traditions discussed throughout the show.

12/26/2010 The Azerbaijani Religion
A radio hour completely dedicated to religion, this show delves into the Zoroastrian religious heritage of Azerbaijan, the Albanian Christian Church, and the current religious practices of Shia Islam. To complement the historical presentation, Dr. Asim Mollazadeh, a member of the Azerbaijani parliament, is interviewed to shed additional light on current religious practices in Azerbaijan.

12/19/2010 Azerbaijani Cinema
Host Farzin Farzad, Karabakh Foundation’s Program Officer, dedicates this radio hour to the history of Azerbaijani cinema. As part of the program, Farzad talks with prominent female Azerbaijani film director, Mehriban Alekperzade. In addition to her background and life in Ganja, the interview includes a segment about her newest film, The Condemned.

12/12/2010 Judaism in Azerbaijan
Former head of Public Affairs for the American Jewish Committee in Los Angeles, Jason Katz, is interviewed to educate listeners about Azerbaijani Jewish communities and their special Chanukah customs. The second half of the show includes a telephone interview with Caucasus Jews Community of New York leader, Yakov Abramov.

11/28/2010 Culinary Treats
This show contains an interview with Feride Buyuran, an author of a popular Azerbaijani cuisine blog who shares with listeners a recipe for levengi—a walnut stuffing that many Azerbaijani Americans use to stuff their turkeys for Thanksgiving. Additional interviews include Turan Garibova and Amy Riolo.

11/21/2010 Welcome to the Azerbaijani Radio Hour
Introducing listeners to Azerbaijan, this radio hour covers the location and history of Azerbaijan. It includes interviews with Karabakh Foundation’s Executive Director, Diana Altman, as well as former assistant editor at the Metropolitan Opera, Cheryl Kempler. Topics discussed include the importance of an Azerbaijani Radio Hour, the Karabakh Foundation’s mission and initiatives, the rich culture of the Karabakh region, and the career of famous Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov.

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